Japanese culture
What does Hikikomori mean?
A prolonged withdrawal from social life: the room as a country, in Japanese social vocabulary.
Definition
Hikikomori names a social phenomenon — usually young people who stay at home for months or years, out of school and work. It is not meme laziness and not a single diagnosis. The West sometimes uses the word for any introvert. The lexicon keeps the Japanese sense: serious isolation, with family, school system and employment in the background of the picture.
Origin
Japanese ひきこもり, popularised by Saito Tamaki in the late 1990s.
History
From Japan's internal debate to world reporting and loose forum use.
How it emerged
Japan needed a name for seclusion that did not fit simple social phobia.
Usage examples
Hikikomori is not an offline weekend.
The word describes a long withdrawal, not a hobby.
Translations
- pt hikikomori
- en hikikomori
- es hikikomori
Synonyms
- seclusion
- prolonged isolation
- room-as-country
Related terms
Questions
What is hikikomori?
The Japanese term for prolonged social withdrawal, usually in a room, out of school or work.
An illness?
Not a single code. A social phenomenon with several possible causes.
Any shy person?
No. The cut is duration and harm, not a Saturday at home.